In German patent application No. 23 56 378, filed in 1973, Helmut Stroede disclosed a form of polymer plastic grave marker. In his application, Stroede did not address how one would place lettering or decorative designs onto the polymer plastic grave marker. In French application No. 77 03711, filed in 1977, James Girault proposed a grave marker of a synthetic resin with one transparent surface in which was embedded decorative designs. More recently, German application No. 44 09 959, filed in 1994, for a hollow polymer plastic grave marker, Annerose and Dieter Augustin made provision for a metal plate to fit into recesses in the grave marker and be secured in position by screws.
Polymer plastic grave markers have some obvious advantages over gravestones in terms of their light weight, resistance to dirt, resistance to lichen, and low cost when compared to granite. However, in order for polymer plastic grave markers to increase in popularity, a method must be devised to place letters and decorative designs on the grave markers in a fashion that is sufficiently versatile to accommodate different styles of marking, aesthetically appealing, and durable.